Florida Hospital, Health First to Create Health Plan

In a joint venture, Florida Hospital Healthcare System and Health First Health Plans will partner to form a commercial health plan in Central Florida. The coverage area will include Tampa, Orlando, and Daytona Beach.

Mike Schultz, President and CEO
Adventist Health System Florida Region

Florida Hospital and Health First Health Plans are partnering to create a commercial health plan that will serve 10 counties across Central Florida.

The new plan, which is expected to be operational on the state's health insurance exchange by mid-2014, will be a joint venture between Florida Hospital Healthcare System, which administers employee health insurance for Florida Hospital, and Health First's Brevard County, Florida subsidiary. A formal agreement is expected to be in place by the end of 2013.

Mike Schultz, president/CEO of the 23-hosptial Adventist Health System Florida Region, says the joint venture creates an opportunity to improve patient outcomes while attempting to contain the unsustainably high medical inflation.

Obed (8/26/2013 at 12:43 PM)
Way to go Florida Hospital! Great Mission and Great Strategy. Obed

Deborah Pfeifle (8/26/2013 at 9:08 AM)
Is this a not-for-profit health plan? Will this exchange include Medicaid beneficiaries? Will the Florida Hospital Employees participate in this new plan or this is an alternative to FHHS employee plan?